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This invention relates to the field of automobile repair services and, more particularly, to a method and a device for sampling automobile fluids and increasing consumer awareness as to the need for fluid replacement services.
The automobile service industry is a significant component of our domestic economy. Virtually every consumer who owns and drives a vehicle requires the assistance of an automobile service technician to repair their vehicle or to service the vehicle to ensure its long term operation.
One of the most significant components of ensuring long term performance of a vehicle is to maintain clean and properly functioning fluids within the various systems of the automobile. Automobiles require fluids for a variety of purposes such as to maintain low friction environments within certain systems, to cool engine components and to allow hydraulic action. For instance, motor oil is used to lubricate the combustion components of the vehicle. Also, a coolant is circulated through the components of the engine to maintain a low temperature. Other important fluids such as power steering fluid, transmission fluid and transmission differential fluid are used in other systems of the automobile.
Each fluid must be regularly inspected to determine if the inherent qualities of the fluid have been compromised as a result of the heat and frictional environment in which the fluid operates. If the fluid shows signs of contamination or degradation, the fluid must be replaced. Failure to replace fluids at appropriate times can result in significant damage to the particular system of the vehicle, and result in the inability of the vehicle to function properly.
In the past, when a consumer would take his or her vehicle to a repair shop or dealership for maintenance, the acute problems with the vehicle were addressed. However, the service technicians oftentimes did not make the consumer fully aware of preventive maintenance that was needed to ensure the long term condition of the vehicle. Specifically, the consumer was not educated as to the condition of the fluids that are vital to the long term operation of the vehicle. In large part, this deficiency was due to the difficulties associated with determining when the automobile fluids require replacement. Most automobile manufacturers provide mileage guidelines at which certain fluids should be replaced. However, these guidelines do not account for the actual condition of the fluid at issue. The actual condition may vary based on driving habits, weather conditions, the quality of the fluid and a number of other factors. Consequently, it is oftentimes necessary to determine if the individual fluids need replacement prior to the mileages suggested by the guidelines.
The actual condition of many automobile fluids may be made by visual inspection. However, it is difficult to make this inspection since many of the component fluids of the automobile are not readily visible for inspection. Particularly, several fluids in the engine are circulated deep within the internal components of the engine. Certain engine components have dipsticks (or rods) that extend into the fluid reservoir within the engine and can be withdrawn to ascertain the fluid level. However, dipsticks are inherently inaccurate, and do not allow for an adequate visual inspection of the color and consistency of the fluid since only a small volume of fluid adheres to the dipstick. Other fluids are completely inaccessible without specialized sampling equipment.
In the end, a great deal of preventive maintenance is left unperformed because the consumer is not made aware of the deficiencies when the automobile is otherwise being serviced. In many cases, the consumer suffers because of this lack of awareness. Also, the dealerships and repair shops that typically focus on one time repairs do not perform the preventive maintenance work that is both necessary and profitable in relation to repair services.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method by which automobile service technicians can quickly and inexpensively ascertain the condition of the various automobile fluids.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method by which automobile service technicians can readily sample and display automobile fluids to illustrate to a consumer the condition of the various fluids and the need for the replacement of one or more of the fluids.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method for providing information to a consumer concerning the condition of their automobile fluids to allow the consumer to determine whether the fluids in their vehicle should be changed.
It is another object of the invention to provide a device capable of extracting sufficient volumes of automobile fluids to allow for visual inspection of the fluids.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device wherein the fluids extracted from the automobile do not require transfer from a container to the display device.
It is another object of the invention to provide a unitary device capable of extracting a wide array of automobile fluids and storing waste fluids.
In accordance with these and other objects evident from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for sampling and marketing fluid replacement services. Once an automobile arrives at the service facility, the automobile service technician quickly obtains fluid samples from the various systems of an automobile. While the consumer provides relevant information relating to the vehicle to a customer service technician, the automobile service technician places the fluid samples into receptacles allowing the consumer to visually inspect the condition of each fluid. The service technician then provides new fluids in proximity to the actual fluids of the engine to allow a side-by-side comparison of the visual condition of the fluids. The samples are then presented to the consumer while the consumer is in contact with the customer service technician to allow the consumer to make a determination as to whether the fluids must be replaced.
In another aspect of the invention, a sampling system is provided for sampling automobile fluids in accordance with the method. The sampling system includes a receptacle having a lid for retaining each of the tools needed to take samples from the automobiles. At least one pump having an elongated tube for placement within a dipstick access hole is used to draw fluid from a fluid reservoir. As the pump is extended, fluid is pulled into a sampling tube releasably secured to the pump. A number of syringes are used to sample those automotive fluids that are not accessible by a dipstick access hole.